This document provides biographical information about T.S. Eliot and summarizes his influential essay "Tradition and Individual Talent". It notes that Eliot was an American-born poet, playwright, and critic who published the essay in 1919 exploring his concept of literary tradition. The essay is divided into three parts discussing Eliot's view that tradition is obtained through hard work, not imitation, and that true criticism focuses on the poetry itself rather than the poet. Eliot concludes that poetry provides an escape from emotion and personality by giving the poet a sense of literary tradition spanning both past and present.

2. Name: Kailash Baraiya
Roll No: 10
Sem: 2(2016-2018)
Paper: 7,Literary Theory and criticism
Topic: T.S Eliot’s Tradition and Individual Talent
Submitted To: Department of English, M.K.
Bhavnagar university

3. About T.S Eliot
 He was born in 26 September, 1888, Missouri,
U.S. and died in January 4, 1965, Kensington,
London.(U.K).
 T.S Eliot was an essayist, publisher,
playwright, literary and social critic.
 One of the major poet of 20th century.

4. About the Essay
‘Tradition and
Individual Talent’
 The Essay was published in 1919
in egoist- the Time Literary
Supplement.
 But later ,The Essay was
published in The Sacred Wood :
Essay on Poetry and Criticism in
1920/2.
 This essay is described by David
Lodge as the most celebrated
critical essay in the English of the
20th century.

5. ‘Tradition and Individual Talent’
The essay
Divided in to
three parts
Part:1 Concept
of Tradition
Theory of
Depersonalization
Conclusion

6. Eliot’s Concept of Tradition
 Tradition is not the Slavish imitation of the past.
 Tradition can not be inherited, it can only be
obtained by hard labour.
 Tradition can only be obtained by those who have
the historical sense.

7. The Theory of Depersonalization
 Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation
is directed not upon the poet but upon the
poetry.
 Chemical reaction.
 Theory of Poetry.

8.  Eliot concludes:
 Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an
escape from emotion; it is not the expression of
personality, but an escape from personality.
 The poet can know what is to be done if he
acquires a sense of tradition; the historic sense
which makes him conscious not only of the
present but also of the present moment of the
past.